Snake bite protection footwear

ABSTRACT

A footwear to prevent snake bite may include a lower portion, an upper portion, and an inner protecting portion. In one embodiment, the appearance of footwear has no difference from a typical boot, and the upper portion can be used to cover at least to the user&#39;s leg portion. The upper portion can be made by a number of layers of fabric, leather, or the like. In an exemplary embodiment, the inner protecting portion can be a metal sheet that can be used to protect the user from snake bite. More specifically, the inner protecting portion can be disposed inside and surrounding the lower and upper portions of the footwear.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a protective article, and more particularly to footwear that can be used to protect users from snake bites.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Snake bites pose a serious risk to people that work and take recreation in natural environments. Various protective footwear or leggings have been developed for protecting people against snake bites when walking through heavy undergrowth areas.

A number of developments for protecting persons from snake bites have been based upon the use of a rigid material to surround the wearer's legs. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,269,036, to Parker et al. discloses a protective legging including a protective sheet made of aluminum or similar material, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,758,963 to Knight discloses a snake protective device having hinged semi-cylindrical halves and made of aluminum, plastic, or the like as shown in FIG. 1.

In U.S. Pat. No. 4,057,853 to McLane, it discloses a legging for preventing snake bites that is made of stainless steel mesh and which is shaped in the form of a stocking without a foot sole. The main body is shaped like a long stocking which on its rear has a vertical slit that can be widened so that a person's leg can be inserted. The foot of the legging is integrally formed with the leg portion. Leather straps and buckles are provided to secure the legging about a wearer's leg and foot as shown in FIG. 2. In the preferred embodiment that is described, there are fourteen buckles on each legging and seven straps per legging.

The abovementioned developments for protecting people from snake bite may be effective, however, they may still have a number of undesirable qualities. For example, they are generally uncomfortable to wear. In addition, they tend to be rather noisy, since the protective leggings will often knock against one another as the wearer walks. This is undesirable when the person wearing the leggings is hunting, as the clacking noise can scare away game or otherwise alert game to the hunter's presence.

Therefore, there remains a need for a new and improved design for a footwear to efficiently prevent snake bites to overcome the problems stated above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a footwear with a metal sheet that is incorporated inside the footwear to efficiently prevent snake bites.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a footwear with a metal sheet that is incorporated inside the footwear so it is more convenient for the user to wear.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a footwear with a metal sheet that is incorporated inside the footwear, so the aesthetic value of the footwear can be increased.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a footwear incorporated a metal sheet therein to completely protect the user's foot and leg portions from snake bite.

In one aspect, a protection footwear to prevent snake bite may include a lower portion, an upper portion, and an inner protecting portion. In one embodiment, the appearance of footwear has no difference from a typical boot, and the upper portion can be used to cover at least to the user's leg portion. The upper portion can be made by a number of layers of fabrics, leather, or the like.

In an exemplary embodiment, the inner protecting portion can be a metal sheet that can be used to protect the user's foot and leg portions from snake bite. More specifically, the inner protecting portion can be disposed inside the layers and surrounding the lower portion and upper portion to provide a full protection for the user to prevent snake bite. In one embodiment, the metal sheet can be made by stainless steel, and the thickness thereof can range from 0.03 to 0.6 mm. It is noted that the metal sheet is usually thicker at a front end of the lower portion.

In another aspect, a protection footwear may include a main body, a shoe base, and an inner protecting portion. In one embodiment, the appearance of footwear has no difference from a typical footwear, and the main body can be used to cover at least to the user's foot portion, which can be made by a number of layers of leather, fabric, or the like.

In a further embodiment, the inner protecting portion can be a metal sheet that can be used to protect the user's foot portion from snake bite. More specifically, the inner protecting portion can be disposed inside and surrounding the layers of the main body. It is noted that an inner protecting portion can also be disposed at an inner surface of the shoe base to provide a complete protection of the user's foot. Since the teeth of the snake is usually sharp and can poke into almost any fabric or leather, the inner protecting portion may have to be incorporated into a protruding portion underneath shoelaces to provide a full protection of the user's foot from snake bite.

In an exemplary embodiment, the user can further wear a protection cover to fully cover his/her leg along with the protection footwear. The protection cover may also include the inner protecting portion surrounding the inner surface thereof to protect the user′ leg portion. The protection cover can be easily coupled with the protection footwear through a coupling unit, which can be buckles, velcro straps, etc.

Comparing with conventional footwear used to prevent snake bite, the present invention is advantageous because the inner protecting portion is incorporated inside and surrounding the lower portion and the upper portion of the footwear. It is much more convenient for the user to wear the footwear without spending extra efforts to use buckles to further secure the protecting portion. Also, the inner protecting portion in the present invention is not an external element of the footwear, so there is no chance for the user to expose any little portion of the leg portion unprotected and so the protection is more complete. Furthermore, the aesthetic value of the footwear can be increased because the inner protecting portion is integrated into the footwear.

Moreover, the inner protecting portion can also be incorporated into a regular footwear, and the user can choose to couple the regular footwear with the protection cover with the inner protecting portion therein to fully protect the user's foot and leg. The footwear and protection cover can be easily coupled with each other so it is convenient for the user even though the user is putting two pieces together.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art disclosing a snake protective device having hinged semi-cylindrical halves and made of aluminum, plastic, or the like.

FIG. 2 illustrates a prior art disclosing a legging for preventing snake bites that is made of stainless steel mesh and which is shaped in the form of a stocking without a foot sole.

FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic view of the protection footwear in the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic view of another aspect of the protection footwear in the present invention.

FIG. 4a illustrates a schematic view of one embodiment of the protection footwear in FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The detailed description set forth below is intended as a description of the presently exemplary device provided in accordance with aspects of the present invention and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the present invention may be prepared or utilized. It is to be understood, rather, that the same or equivalent functions and components may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although any methods, devices and materials similar or equivalent to those described can be used in the practice or testing of the invention, the exemplary methods, devices and materials are now described.

All publications mentioned are incorporated by reference for the purpose of describing and disclosing, for example, the designs and methodologies that are described in the publications that might be used in connection with the presently described invention. The publications listed or discussed above, below and throughout the text are provided solely for their disclosure prior to the filing date of the present application. Nothing herein is to be construed as an admission that the inventors are not entitled to antedate such disclosure by virtue of prior invention.

In one aspect, referring to FIG. 3, a protection footwear 300 to prevent snake bite may include a lower portion 310, an upper portion 320, and an inner protecting portion 330. In one embodiment, the appearance of footwear 300 has no difference from a typical boot, and the upper portion 320 can be used to cover at least to the user's leg portion. The upper portion 320 can be made by a number of layers of fabrics, leather, or the like.

In an exemplary embodiment, the inner protecting portion 330 can be a metal sheet that can be used to protect the user's foot and leg portions from snake bite. More specifically, the inner protecting portion 330 can be disposed inside the layers and surrounding the lower portion 310 and upper portion 320 (the covering areas of the inner protecting portion 330 is shown in dashlines) to provide a full protection for the user to prevent snake bite. In one embodiment, the metal sheet can be made by stainless steel, and the thickness thereof can range from 0.03 to 0.6 mm. It is noted that the metal sheet is usually thicker at a front end of the lower portion 310.

In another aspect, as shown in FIG. 4, a protection footwear 400 may include a main body 410, a shoe base 420 and an inner protecting portion 430. In one embodiment, the appearance of footwear 400 has no difference from a typical footwear, and the main body 410 can be used to cover at least to the user's foot portion, which can be made by a number of layers of leather, fabric, or the like.

In a further embodiment, the inner protecting portion 430 can be a metal sheet that can be used to protect the user's foot portion from snake bite. More specifically, the inner protecting portion 430 can be disposed inside and surrounding the layers of the main body 410. It is noted that an inner protecting portion 430 can also be disposed at an inner surface of the shoe base 420 to provide a complete protection of the user's foot. Since the teeth of the snake is usually sharp and can poke into almost any fabric or leather, the inner protecting portion 430 may have to be incorporated into a protruding portion 411 underneath shoelaces to provide a full protection of the user's foot from snake bite.

In an exemplary embodiment, the user can further wear a protection cover 440 to fully cover his/her leg along with the protection footwear 400. The protection cover 440 may also include the inner protecting portion 430 surrounding the inner surface thereof to protect the user′ leg portion. The protection cover 440 can be easily coupled with the protection footwear 400 through a coupling unit 450, which can be buckles, velcro straps, etc.

Comparing with conventional footwear used to prevent snake bite, the present invention is advantageous because the inner protecting portion 330 is incorporated inside and surrounding the lower portion 310 and the upper portion 320 of the footwear 300. It is much more convenient for the user to wear the footwear without spending extra efforts to use buckles to further secure the protecting portion. Also, the inner protecting portion 330 in the present invention is not an external element of the footwear, so there is no chance for the user to expose any little portion of the leg portion unprotected and so the protection is more complete. Furthermore, the aesthetic value of the footwear can be increased because the inner protecting portion 330 is integrated into the footwear.

Moreover, the inner protecting portion 430 can also be incorporated into a regular footwear 400, and the user can choose to couple the regular footwear 400 with the protection cover 440 with the inner protecting portion 430 therein to fully protect the user's foot and leg. The footwear 400 and protection cover 440 can be easily coupled with each other so it is convenient for the user even though the user is putting two pieces together.

Having described the invention by the description and illustrations above, it should be understood that these are exemplary of the invention and are not to be considered as limiting. Accordingly, the invention is not to be considered as limited by the foregoing description, but includes any equivalents. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A footwear to prevent snake bite comprising a lower portion, an upper portion, and an inner protecting portion, wherein the upper portion of the footwear is configured to cover a user's leg portion and the inner protecting portion is integrated in and surrounding the lower portion and upper portion to provide a complete protection of the user's foot and leg portions, and the inner protecting portion is a metal sheet.
 2. The footwear to prevent snake bite of claim 1, wherein the upper portion is made by a number of layers of leather, or the like.
 3. The footwear to prevent snake bite of claim 1, wherein the inner protecting portion is disposed at a bottom of the lower portion of the footwear.
 4. The footwear to prevent snake bite of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the inner protecting portion ranges from 0.03 to 0.6 mm.
 5. A protection footwear comprising a main body, a shoe base, and an inner protecting portion, wherein the inner protecting portion is incorporated inside and surrounding the main body to protect a user's foot from snake bite, and the inner protecting portion is a metal sheet.
 6. The protection footwear of claim 5, wherein the inner protecting portion is disposed on an inner surface of the shoe base to provide a complete protection of the user's foot.
 7. The protection footwear of claim 5, further comprising a protection cover protecting the user's leg portion, wherein the protection cover is coupled with the protection footwear through a coupling unit.
 8. The protection footwear of claim 7, wherein the inner protecting portion is incorporated inside and surrounding the protection cover.
 9. The protection footwear of claim 7, wherein the coupling unit includes buckles, velcro straps, etc.
 10. The protection footwear of claim 5, wherein the thickness of the inner protecting portion ranges from 0.03 to 0.6 mm. 